Water pump



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United States Patent 3,046,070 WATER PUMP Glenn D. Gearhart, Beresford, S. Dale, assignor to Sioux Steam Cleaner Mfg. Co., Inc., Beresford, S. Dak., a corporation of South Dakota Filed Feb. 8, 1960, Ser. No. 7,468 3 Claims. (Cl. 309-4) This invention relates to a water pump and more particularly to a water pump for steam cleaning apparatus.

In steam cleaners and other types of apparatu which require water under pressure, it is sometimes desirable to provide a water pump so that the apparatus can be utilized where water pressure is not available. Pumps heretofore provided for this purpose have not been completely satisfactory and have given a great deal of trouble during operation. There is, therefore, a need for a small, heavy duty water pump which is long lasting and which requires infrequent maintenance.

In general, it is an object of the present invention to provide a water pump which is particularly adapted for supplying water under pressure and which is relatively simple and easy to construct.

Another object of the invention is to provide a water pump of the above character in which packing is disposed intermediate the ends of a cylindrical piston.

Another object of the invention is to provide a water pump of the above character in which the packing is in engagement with the side wall forming the pump cylinder.

Another object of the invention is to provide a water pump of the above character in which the packing can be readily adjusted.

Additional objects and features of the invention will appear from the following description in which the preferred embodiment has been set forth in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

Referring to the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view, partly in cross section, howing a water pump incorporating my invention.

FIGURE 2 is an exploded view of the water pump as shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a view looking along the line 33 of FIGURE 2.

In general, my water pump consists of a housing having a cylindrical bore therein and a piston slidably mounted in the bore. This piston consists of at least two separable cylindrical axially aligned parts. These parts are so positioned that they form an annular groove having its axis parallel to the axis of the piston and in which is disposed packing material. One of the parts forming the piston is adjustable axially with respect to the other part so that the packing may be compressed to provide a relatively tight seal between. the piston and the cylinder bore.

More in particular, my water pump as shown in the drawings consists of a pump housing or cylinder 11 which is provided with a longitudinal cylindrical bore 12, which on the left hand side as viewed in FIGURE 1, opens into a conical portion 13, and on the right hand side as viewed in FIGURE 1, opens into a threaded opening 14. The housing 11 is provided with feet 16 for mounting purposes.

A pump piston 17 is slidably mounted in the cylindrical bore 12 and consists of at least two major parts, one of them being in the form of a bolt-like member 18 which also serves as a piston rod, and the other being in the form of a cylindrical sleeve member 19. The bolt-like piston member 18 has a cylindrical head portion 21 and a threaded portion 22, whereas the sleeve member 19 has a cylindrical bore 23 and an internally threaded portion 24 so that the sleeve member 19 may be mounted on the lCQ 2 piston member 18 by engaging the threaded portions 22 and 24.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the two parts 18 and 19 are axially aligned and are adapted to be adjusted axially of each other by rotation of the sleeve 19 with respect to the member 13 or vice versa to provide an annular groove 26 therebetween, having its axis parallel to the axis of the piston as shown in FIGURE 1. The sleeve 19 is adapted to be rotated by a wrench or other simple means. To facilitate such rotation, the member 19 is provided with flats 27 on opposite sides thereof.

Suitable packing material is disposed in the groove 26 provided between the sleeve member 19 and the piston member 18 and, as shown in FIGURE 2, can be in the form of one or more washers 28 which are provided with a hole 29. The washers are adapted to he slipped over the piston member 18 so that they seat against the head portion 21. Thereafter, the sleeve member 19 can be threaded onto the piston member 18 until it seats against the packing washers 28. The sleeve 19 is locked in place by a lock nut 31.

The piston member 18 is connected to a yoke 32 which is threaded onto the piston member and is locked thereon with a lock nut 33. The yoke 32 is connected to a connecting rod 36 by suitable means such as a pin 37 and the snap rings 38.

Operation of my water pump may now be briefly described as follows. Let it be assumed that the water pump has been assembled in the manner shown in FIG- URE 1 and that the sleeve 19 has been screwed down onto the packing material 28 and locked in place by the lock washer 31 so that the packing material is slightly compressed so that it is urged outwardly from the groove between the members 18 and 19 and into engagement with the side wall forming the cylindrical bore. As soon as this has been accomplished, the pump may be utilized for pumping water as, for example, siphoning water from a container or other suitable source and supplying the water to a desired machine such as a steam cleaner.

It has been found that the construction hereinabove set forth has many advantages over that of conventional water pumps. The positioning of the packing material has been found to be particularly important. The positioning of the packing intermediate the ends of the piston greatly reduces the wear on the piston itself and on the cylinder wall. The straight shoulders provided on the member 19 and the head portion 21 of the piston member 18 serve to accurately locate the packing material and serve to retain it so that it is not readily displaced. At all times the packing is accurately positioned and is maintained in such a manner that it is free to engage with the side wall of the cylinder. When the packing becomes slightly worn, it is merely necessary to loosen the lock nut 31 and thread the sleeve member 19 axially onto the member 18 to further compress the packing material. After the packing material has been compressed sufficiently, the lock nut is again tightened.

When the packing material becomes so worn that it is desirable to replace the same, the packing material already used within the pump can be readily removed by disassembly as shown in FIGURE 2 and new packing material placed thereon.

It is apparent from the foregoing that I have provided a new and improved water pump which is particularly adapted for heavy duty operation and which can be readily adjusted when the packing material utilized becomes worn. The pump is comprised of relatively few parts and is subject to very little wear. It can be economically fabricated and assembled.

I claim:

1. In a water pump, a housing having a cylindrical bore therein and a port in one end opening into the bore, a piston and piston rod slidably mounted Within said bore for reciprocatory movement in said bore towards and away from said port in said housing, said piston and piston rod being comprised of a piston member having a cylindrical head portion with a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the cylindrical bore and a threaded portion, a cylindrical sleeve threadedly mounted on said threaded portion of said piston member and forming an annular groove between the sleeve and the head portion of the piston member, the axis of the groove being parallel to the axis of the piston, packing material disposed in the groove, said packing material being adapted to be compressed by axial movement of said sleeve with respect to said piston member to thereby urge the packing material into engagement with the cylindrical side wall forming the bore, said sleeve having a uniform diameter substantially identical to the diameter of the head portion and a length so that a substantial portion of the sleeve engages the sidewall of the bore, said sleeve also having a length so that a portion of the sleeve extends out of the housing in at least one position of the piston and piston rod so that the sleeve can be adjusted axially of the piston member Without disassembly of the water pump, said sleeve forming the sole means for guiding the portions of the piston rod in the bore, remote from the piston and means mounted on said piston member for locking said sleeve in a predetermined axial position on said piston member.

2. A water pump as in claim 1 together with connecting means connected to said piston rod, said connecting means consisting of a yoke threadedly mounted on the threaded portion of said piston member, and locking means threadedly mounted on the threaded portion of said piston member and serving to lock said yoke in a predetermined position on said piston member, said connecting means serving to prevent rotation of the piston rod during axial adjustment of the sleeve.

3. In a Water pump, a housing having a cylindrical bore therein and a port in one end opening into said bore, a

piston and a piston rod slidably mounted Within said bore for reciprocatory movement in said bore towards and away from said port in said housing, said piston and piston rod being comprised of a piston member having a cylindrical head portion with a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the cylindrical bore, and a cylindrical portion having a diameter substantially less than the diameter of the cylindrical bore, a cylindrical sleeve mounted on said cylindrical portion having a diameter substantially les than the diameter of the cylindrical bore, said sleeve having a uniform diameter substantially identical to the diameter of the head portion and defining one side of an annular groove formed between the sleeve and the head portion of the piston member, the axis of the groove being parallel to the axis of the piston, packing material disposed in the groove, said packing material being adapted to be compressed by axial movement of said sleeve with respect to said piston member to thereby urge the packing material into engagement with the cylindrical side wall forming the bore, said sleeve having a length so that a substantial portion of the sleeve engages the sidewall of the bore, the sleeve forming the sole means for guiding the portions of the piston rod on the bore remote from the piston, the sleeve also having a length so that a portion of said sleeve extends out of the housing in at least one position of said piston and piston rod during reciprocatory movement of the same, tool engaging means carried by said sleeve and adapted to be engaged when said piston and piston rod is in said one position to permit axial adjustment of the sleeve relative to the piston member, and nut means mounted on said piston member for locking said sleeve in a predetermined position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 15,806 Harasta Apr. 1, 1924 2,468,511 Pilch Apr. 26, 1949 2,600,061 Lord June 10, 1952 2,907,614 Rosen Oct. 6, 1959 2,918,339 Hagadone Dec. 22, 1959 

